Apparatus for cleaning rolls



Jan. 14, 1936. G, VON WEBERN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ROLLS Filed Feb. 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l w W W M 74 a 3% WWW WWW M M a w W M MV ll v\ 4W, i w/ Jan. 14, 1936. VON WEBERN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ROLLS Filed Feb. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ROLLS Guido von Wcbern, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Oxford Varnish Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan I Application February 9, 1934, Serial No. 710,518-

2 Claim.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning the surface of large composition. rolls and the like, and particularly to an apparatus for cleaning offset rolls used for decorating mate- 5 rials such as are commonly used in graining processes.

Composition rolls used in wood, marble and other graining methods are usually formed with I; hard core and a tacky, resilientouter'layer of composition material, the major components of which may be materials such as glue and glycerine. A well known method of graining or deeprating surfaces is to remove ink or pigment from a printing plate, having a design thereon, by moving an offset or composition roll first, into rolling contact with the plate, and then into rolling contact with the subject to be decorated, causing the pigment material which adheres to the composition roll to be impressed onto the sub- 20 ject. While the greater portion of the ink, conveyed to the offset or composition roll from the printing plate, is transferred from the composition roll to the subject, nevertheless a certain amount of ink remains on the roll after such 2, transfer. Hence, "'s'uch roll is cleaned before it is again brought'into'contact with the pattern to receive ink or pigment for another impression.

The cleaning method usually followed consists in rotating the composition roll against the rela- 30 tively stationary scraper blade, which scrapes the ink or pigment from the roll. However, it has been found difilcult to maintain such action between the scraper blade and the roll, as is required to efiectively remove the ink without damage to the surface of the roll. This is due in some interval of time between the application of pigment or ink to the composition roll and the actual cleaning of the roll varies considerably and at times the length of this interval is such that the ink or pigment dries to such an extentthat it becomes difficult and at times impossible fea s scraper blade to remove the material or pigment from the roll without damage to the surface thereof. a

, his general object of the present invention is 55 to overcome the dimculties above'mention d. and

a roll cleaner. As the operation is manual, the

I propose to accomplish this by providing a cleaning apparatus, which will clean the roll without the aid of a scraper, and which apparatus will be arranged to remove pigment or ink from the roll even though such pigment or ink has partially 5 dried thereon in a rapid and emcient manner.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning of composition rolls and the like, which apparatus will avoid the liability of damage to the rolls by applying a liquid solvent to the roll to be cleaned during the cleaning operation.

Other objec s and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention. The essential characteristics will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus partially broken away to more clearly indicate the internal construction thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan view of my apparatus, partially broken away, for ease of illustration; Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus looking towards the right hand end of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away to more clearly illustrate the internal construction; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, as indicated by the line 44 on Fig. 1.

In general, my improved roll cleaning apparatus comprises a pair of upstanding frame members i0 and H, spaced apart by suitable transverse frame members l2. Adjacent the upper portion of the frame members are a pair of cleaning rollers l l and l 5, which are spaced apart from each other and arranged to support the printing roll to be cleaned. The rolls II and I5 rotate in a bath of pigment solvent, which is applied to the roll and cleans it, as will be hereinafter more fully described. After the roll is cleaned by the rollers II and I 5, it is transferred to a second pair of rollers l6 and i1, which carry liquid absorbent belts 30, and which act to remove any solvent or pigment remaining on the roll. The rollers I4 and I5 are drivingly secured to respective shafts 20, which are journalled in the frame members in and H, as will hereinafter be more fully described. The rolls are preferably 7 formed of wood and are providedwith a fabric. covering 2|. their lower'areas submerged in a pigment solvent which is carried in a suitable trough or pan 22 mounted on-the frame members to and II and disposed beneath the rollers and II, to supply the fabric covering of the rollers with liquid II The rollers l4 and I5 rotate'with solvent, and to recover any solvent which may drain from the rollers.

The roll to be cleansed is indicated at A" in Fig. l, and is there shown as freely resting on the a rollers l4 and I5. Hence, the rotation of the rollers will rotate the roll A. A slight scrubbing action is procured between the rollers l4 and I5 and the roll A, due to a difference in peripheral speed between the two rollers. As will be hereinafter more fully described, the roller shafts 20 are driven at the same axial speed and in the same direction of revolution. However, the roller H is slightly greater in diameter than the roller l5. Hence, each roller tends to drive the roll A" at a slightly different rate of speed, with the result that the roll A" slips slightly on each of the supporting or cleaning rollers l4 and i5. I find that this action is extremely advantageous in that the diflerence between the peripheral speed of the rollers I4 and I5 may be made comparatively small, with the result that the scrubbing action betwen the rollers H and I5 and the roll "A" may be kept at the minimum required to clean the roll. Likewise, I have found that this action permits the cleansing of the roll A without damaging the surface thereof, which, as heretofore mentioned, is comparatively soft.

After the roll A has been cleansed by the scrubbing action of the rollers II and I5, heretofore explained, a slight amount of ink or pigment often remains on the roll. This is due to the fact that as the cleansing action progresses, some of the ink or pigment which is removed from the roll A" is dissolved or suspended in the solvent solution, and will therefore be reconveyed to the rollers l4 and I5 and thereby to the roll A, leaving a slight film of pigmented solution on the roll. I have therefore arranged my apparatus so that this film or solvent may be removed and the roll completely cleansed.

To remove any film of pigment that might remain on the roll "A after the cleansing rolls II and It have completed their work, I provide a pair of spaced rollers l6 and II, which are covered with fabric and on which the roll A is positioned by the operator after its removal from the cleansing rollers I4- and it. As shown, the rollers I6 and 11 are supported on suitable driving shafts 24, carried by the frame members I0 and II, and continuously driven, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The rollers It; and I1 coact with the roll "A in a manner similar to that of the rollers l4 and ii, that is, the rollers are provided with a fabric covering, and the roller H has a greater diameter than the roller It. Therefore, the rollers l6 and I! will tend to drive the roll A" at a slightly different speed, with the result that there will be some amount of slippage between the roll A" 0 and each of the rollers It and I1, thereby providing a rubbing action there'between.

The solvent solution or liquid which is used to cleanse the roll, as heretofore described, is highly volatile, and therefore it is desirable to so arrange the mechanism that the fabric on the rollers l8 and I! serve to dry the roll, as well as to cleanse the roll from any pigment remaining thereon. I therefore find it is convenient to so form the cloth covering on the rollers II and H in the nature of an elongated belt, as shown in Fig. l, at 80. Referring to this figure, namely, Fig. 1, it will be noted that the belts ll are looped around the rollers II and i1, extending downwardly adjacent the bases wherein they are supported by suitable idler rollers II.

The arrangement is such that one of the belts 30, with which the periphery of the roll "A" contacts, is kept moist with fresh or unpigmented solvent. As shown, the belt 30 on the roller I. is kept moist with a pigment or ink solvent. such 5 solvent is supplied through the medium of a suitable conduit 40, through which the solvent is fed and which is forced by a suitable pump 4|, which, in turn, is supplied with solvent from a container or reservoir 43. The conduit 40 is connected with 10 an elongated tube 44 having a series of openings or jets 45, arranged to project the solvent on the belt in the form of a light film or spray. This maintains the belt moist and enables the belt ll of the roller l 6 to act on the roll A" with a moist 15 wiping action, while the unmoistened belt 30 of the roller ll wipes the roll A dry, thereby completely removing all trace of pigment and solvent therefrom.

It will be noted that I have provided two sets of so rollers I6 and I1, one set lying on each side of the rollers l4 and I5. This arrangement permits the operator to place one roll to be cleaned on the rollers l4 and i5, and after these rollers have completed their function, remove the roll to one pair of rolls It and I1, taking at that time a second roll B from the other pair of rollers II and I1, thereby permitting substantially uninterrupted operations.

The rollers M and I5, as well as the rollers I. so and H, are all continuously driven, and each roll is arranged so that it may be readily removed to permit either the cleansing of the roll or the removal of the coverings thereon. The shafts 20 and 24 which support the various rolls, as are readily removable from the frame. As shown in Fig. 4, the shaft 20 or 24 is provided with a suitable key 50, which engages the key way II in the roll. The key 50 also engages a key way 52 in a bushing 53, which is rotatably mounted 40 in the left-hand frame member it. One end of each shaft is provided with a suitable knob or handle 54 by means of which the operator may conveniently withdraw the shaft from its bearings, thereby freeing the roller supported there- 45 by. As shown, when the shaft is withdrawn, the roller drops but a slight distance. Hub portions 56 of each roll engage suitable rests 51, which are secured to the inner faces of frame members In and H, thereby preventing the roller from so dropping.

The rollers are driven by a suitable motor 00 which drivingly rotates a gear 8| through the medium of a belt 62, and pulleys I and N, carried by the armature shaft 8!, and the shaft .0, 66 which supports the gear ii, respectively. The gear 6| meshes with a gear "a drivingly secured to a shaft 61 iournalled in the frame member In, and a gear 68 drivingly connected to the shaft 81 meshes with a gear 69 on a shaft II. 00 The shaft III in turn carries a sprocket II, which is drivingly connected by a suitable driving chain 14, to a sprocket 13, carried by the shaft 20 of theroller IS. The sprocket 13 is secured to s bushing 53, which coacts with the shaft fl of II the roller l5, thereby driving such roller. Integral with the sprocket 13 is a sprocket ll, which is connected by a sprocket chain II, with a compound sprocket member I! carried by tll bushing 53 of the shaft 2|! of the roll ll, there- 10 by driving the roll I. The other sprocket "a of the composite sprocket member I. is connected by means of a sprocket drive chain I1. with a compound sprocket member 18 carried byt ebushlngnoftheshsftofthelefbhand'lt or thereby driving such roller. The other sprocket of the compound sprocket member 18 is connected by a suitable drive chain 19 to a sprocket 80 carried by the bushing 53 on the shaft 24 of the left-hand roller IS.

The right hand rollers l6 and I! are driven in a manner similar to the drive of the left-hand rollers l6 and I1. As shown, sprocket chains II and I2 drive these rolls from the bushing 53 of the roller I5 in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with the left-hand rolls l5 and IS.

The idler rollers 3| which support the lower ends of the belt 30 are readily removable from the machine to permit the changing of the belt. As shown, each idler roller is'supported by its respective belt 30, tension being applied to the belts by suitable bearing blocks 90, which engage the shaft 9| of the rollers 3 l. The bearing blocks 90 are mounted in vertically extending guideways 92 in members 93, which are carried by the inner faces of the frame plates l and II, respectively. Each bearing block 90 is provided with a ing 95 extending into a recess 96 in its respective member 93, and is threadingly engaged by a suitable threaded shaft 94, which extends upward through a lug 91 in the member 83. Each shaft 94 is rotatably mounted in its respective member 83 and is restrained against longitudinal movement by suitable collars 98. Each shaft 93 is provided at its upper end with a knob 99, by means of which it may be readily turned to increase or decrease the tension of its belt 30. To remove the belt or rollers 30, the bearing members 90 are moved upwardly in their respective guideways so that the roller may readily be moved to permit its withdrawal-from the machine.

It will be seen from the above description that I have provided an efllcient mechanism which first claims the pigment or ink from the surface of an oifset printing roll by the use of suitable solvents with a scrubbing action, and thereafter removes any film that might remain on the oflset roll by a moist wiping action. Such apparatus has been arranged so that the rolls may be cleaned in as short an interval of time as possible, thereby insuring substantially continuous operation.

I claim:

1. A printing roll cleaning mechanism, comprising a frame, a pair of spaced rollers mounted in said frame and arranged to simultaneously support a roll to be cleaned, each of said rollers being provided with a fabric belt, said belts being looped about their respective rollers, the portion of the belts looped over the rollers supporting the roll to be cleaned, means to maintain said belts taut, means to rotate said rollers at diflferent peripheral speeds, and means to apply a solvent to one of said belts.

2. A roll cleaning apparatus, comprising a frame, a pair of spaced rollers mounted in said frame with their axes in the same horizontal plane, and arranged to coact to support a roll to be cleaned, an independent fluid absorbent elongated belt covering, carried by each of said rollers, and interposed between the rollers and the roll, means to drive said rollers at the same axial speed and in the same direction, and one of said rollers having a diameter greater than the diameter of the other roller, means to moisten one of said belts whereby a moist wiping action is maintained between one of said rollers and the roll to be cleaned, and a dry wiping action is maintained between the other roller and the roll.

GUIDO VON WEBERN. 

